Press release 21/12/2020
Overnight stays in hotel establishments in the Basque Country in November 2020 were down 79.2% compared to the same month of the previous year
A total of 243 establishments remained closed throughout November, 116 more than in October and almost at the level of June
The number of visitors registered at hotel establishments in the Basque Country in November, 41,367 people, dropped by 81.9% compared to same month of the previous year. The 90,439 overnight stays registered during November signified a year-on-year decrease of 79.2%. These figures represent a comparative deterioration with regard to the data observed in October, when 109,393 visitors and 209,716 overnight stays were recorded, meaning month-on-month decreases of 62.2% and 56.9%, respectively.
The negative impact of the crisis caused by COVID-19 on the hotel sector intensified during November in the three provinces. In Gipuzkoa, visitor numbers in November 2020 fell by 84.1% in relation to November 2019, in Bizkaia this decrease was 82.2% and, finally, in Álava they were down 74.7%. As regards overnight stays, the registered year-on-year decreases were as follows: 84.3% in Bizkaia, 77.8% in Gipuzkoa and 69.5% in Álava.
In November, hotel establishments in the Basque Country as a whole registered 33,849 visitors from Spain and 7,518 visitors from abroad, which was a decrease of 78.6% and 89.3%, respectively, in respect of November 2019. Visitors coming from abroad in November 2020 represented 18.2% of total visitor numbers, whereas for the same month in 2019 this percentage rose to 30.7%.
This November the average length of stay was 2.19 days, above the average length of stay of 1.91 days observed in November 2019. Álava registered an increase from 1.91 days last year to 2.31 days in November this year; in Bizkaia the figure also increased from 1.88 days in November 2019 to 2.33 days in November 2020. In contrast, in Gipuzkoa the average length of stay was down from 1.94 days in November 2019 to 1.91 days this November.
There was a decrease of 34.5 percentage points in the bed occupancy rate for the Basque Country overall, where it went from 48.5% in November 2019 to 14.0% in November this year. By province, bed occupancy rates stood at 18.7% for Álava, 14.9% for Bizkaia and 10.9 % for Gipuzkoa, following year-on-year decreases of 27.5, 33.1 and 39.1 percentage points, respectively.
The occupancy rate per room also dropped sharply, by 40.6 percentage points, in the Basque Country as a whole, standing at 21.2%. By province, the values recorded were 28% in Álava, 22.8% in Bizkaia and 16,5% in Gipuzkoa.
With regards to the profitability indicators of the sector, the average daily rate (ADR) of hotels in the Basque Country stood at 60.8 euros in November 2020, down 24.5% on the year before. The average room rate was 56.6 euros in Álava, where it fell 18.3%; 60.1 euros in Bizkaia, a drop of 25.2%; and 64.7 euros in Gipuzkoa, down 23.8% compared to November 2019.
The revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the Basque Country, which is dependent on the occupancy rate of hotel establishments, stood at 12.9 euros in November 2020, 74.1% down on November 2019. The RevPAR was 15.8 euros in Álava, 13.7 euros in Bizkaia and 10.7 euros in Gipuzkoa; down 61.9%, 72.7% and 79.5% on the same month of the previous year.
In the Basque Country as a whole, 389 hotel establishments showed some activity during November 2020, 112 fewer than in the previous month and 160 fewer than the number that opened for at least one day in November 2019. The figure for establishments that were closed every day in November 2020 increased compared to those that were closed in October: 243 completely closed in November versus 127 in October 2020. In November 2019, however, 65 establishments were closed for the entire month.
Visitors registered at rural accommodation in the Basque Country plummeted by 93.1% and overnight stays fell by 85.5% in November 2020
In November 2020, visitors at rural accommodation in the Basque Country totalled 651, a year-on-year drop of 93.1%. Overnight stays, which numbered 3,017 people, fell by 85.5% compared to those registered in November 2019.
All three provinces experienced severe decreases. Visitor numbers fell by 96.4% in Álava, 92.3% in Gipuzkoa and 91.6% in Bizkaia. Overnight stays performed similarly, with negative variations of 91.6% in Álava, 82.6% in Bizkaia and 86.3% in Gipuzkoa.
The number of rural tourism establishments that offered accommodation at some point in November rose to 312, compared to the 365 that did so in November 2019. Conversely, a total of 125 establishments remained closed during the entire period, as opposed to the 57 that were closed in November 2019.
Similarly, a reduction in activity was also observed in respect of the previous month. There were 356 active rural tourism establishments in October 2020 as opposed to the 312 registered in November 2020, whilst the number of establishments closed during the entire month went from 78 in October to 125 in November 2020.
Note: Eustat would like to thank all the establishments that have collaborated with this survey for making this effort despite the extraordinary current circumstances. As a result, it has been possible to disseminate this information, enabling the effects on this sector of the measures adopted in order to combat COVID-19 to be quantified.
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62